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hyebitshines's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this felt a lot like reading [b: The Scarlett Letter|7633167|The Scarlett Letter; And, the Blithedale Romance|Nathaniel Hawthorne|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355086443s/7633167.jpg|21418509]- Beautiful writing (jealousy feels on full blast here) and thought-provoking themes about societal norms. As a story though, it was... mind-numbingly slow. All Isadora seems to do is reflect, reflect, and reflect which ended up being chapter-long musings that reiterated her unhappiness.
Isadora is supposed to be especially special from all her child-bearing, frazzled female counterparts who have embraced the roles that are expected of them. At face-value, it's easy to be repulsed by Isadora who has the most horrifying history of ex-lovers (the composer with shit-streaked sheets almost kicked up my gagging reflex) and has what comes across as a crudely prominent sex-drive that she doesn't shy away from, coining terms like the zipless fuck. For some reason though, I could never fully hate Isadora. I think it was because she was so wholly familiar in her struggles and thoughts, and also because of the very fact that she embodied this crudeness as a taboo sort of woman who stands in opposition of all that womanhood is supposed to be to society. One of the most striking, if not ambivalent conflicts that Isadora struggles with is something that I feel like inherently comes with being a woman, finally put into words:
"Oh I talk a good game, and I even think I believe it, but secretly, I'm like the girl in Story of O . I want to submit to some big brute. 'Every woman adores a fascist,' as Sylvia Plath says. I feel guilty for writing poems when I should be cooking. I feel guilty or everything. You don't have to beat a woman if you can make her feel guilty. That's Isadora Wing's first principle of the war between the sexes. Women are their own worst enemies. And guilt is the main weapon of self-torture."
This book broached on scandalous, even taboo topics beautifully... but I founds its tone of realism to be flat and at times, one pointless spewl that had no end. There wasn't a balance of plot and theme... it was one philosophical rambling that started in the middle and faded off with a question mark. While I concede that it is a book worth reading, I left the book feeling relieved. The world of Isadora Wing is bitter and servers but lacks that something, that allure to leave me flabbergasted with awe and yearning to fall back into its intoxicating hold. I'm just left scratching my head, with some quirky and enlightening life advice, and still trying to figure out if this book was genius or pretentiousness o3o
Fin.
Isadora is supposed to be especially special from all her child-bearing, frazzled female counterparts who have embraced the roles that are expected of them. At face-value, it's easy to be repulsed by Isadora who has the most horrifying history of ex-lovers (the composer with shit-streaked sheets almost kicked up my gagging reflex) and has what comes across as a crudely prominent sex-drive that she doesn't shy away from, coining terms like the zipless fuck. For some reason though, I could never fully hate Isadora. I think it was because she was so wholly familiar in her struggles and thoughts, and also because of the very fact that she embodied this crudeness as a taboo sort of woman who stands in opposition of all that womanhood is supposed to be to society. One of the most striking, if not ambivalent conflicts that Isadora struggles with is something that I feel like inherently comes with being a woman, finally put into words:
"Oh I talk a good game, and I even think I believe it, but secretly, I'm like the girl in Story of O . I want to submit to some big brute. 'Every woman adores a fascist,' as Sylvia Plath says. I feel guilty for writing poems when I should be cooking. I feel guilty or everything. You don't have to beat a woman if you can make her feel guilty. That's Isadora Wing's first principle of the war between the sexes. Women are their own worst enemies. And guilt is the main weapon of self-torture."
This book broached on scandalous, even taboo topics beautifully... but I founds its tone of realism to be flat and at times, one pointless spewl that had no end. There wasn't a balance of plot and theme... it was one philosophical rambling that started in the middle and faded off with a question mark. While I concede that it is a book worth reading, I left the book feeling relieved. The world of Isadora Wing is bitter and servers but lacks that something, that allure to leave me flabbergasted with awe and yearning to fall back into its intoxicating hold. I'm just left scratching my head, with some quirky and enlightening life advice, and still trying to figure out if this book was genius or pretentiousness o3o
Fin.
sadiereadsagain's review against another edition
3.0
This was much better than I'd expected. It's reputation does it no service, as I had kind of expected a feminist 50 Shades...but was so glad to find that was not what this book is! The sex is actually pretty minimal (for a book about sex) and not very hardcore. I liked Isadora, though I did find her problematic as a feminist figure It is very of it's time but in the same breath it doesn't feel dated. A lot of ideas in it must have been quite radical when it first came out, and I love the bravery of it. The part where she unexpectedly gets her period is something that can still be taboo to talk about now, so it was pretty cool to see it being put out there like that. I just wish there had been more about Isadora and less about the men in her life.
Spoiler
because although the book ends with her possibly finding her identity beyond the men in her life, it's not a given and the whole of the book is spent with her defining herself by her relationships. Maybe if Jong had spent more time on that self discovery and less on talking about psychoanalysis, I'd have felt this book more rightly deserved it's feminist stamp.mrose21's review against another edition
1.0
Quick Info
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: No
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Isadora Wing
----------------------------------
What happens?
Isadora is in a crap marriage. She decides to flit off while her husband is I guess working. She meets a guy decides he looks nice enough to leave her husband for and goes away with him where she is dumped and then crawls back to her husband.
Final thoughts
This is a few hours (an minutes for this review) I will never get back. If you like this book you probably don't like anything I read. this isn't romance, this isn't erotica. Its a book about being in a crappy marriage, where she is allowed to cheat on her husband with someone who is also cheating on their partner and its OK.
This could be a really good book, the potential is there but I don't like cheating and I don't like the open endings.
Would I read again?: No
Would I read this author again?: No
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: No
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Isadora Wing
----------------------------------
What happens?
Isadora is in a crap marriage. She decides to flit off while her husband is I guess working. She meets a guy decides he looks nice enough to leave her husband for and goes away with him where she is dumped and then crawls back to her husband.
Final thoughts
This is a few hours (an minutes for this review) I will never get back. If you like this book you probably don't like anything I read. this isn't romance, this isn't erotica. Its a book about being in a crappy marriage, where she is allowed to cheat on her husband with someone who is also cheating on their partner and its OK.
This could be a really good book, the potential is there but I don't like cheating and I don't like the open endings.
Would I read again?: No
Would I read this author again?: No
limeywesty's review against another edition
5.0
This is the break up book I want to give to all my girlfriends, the feminist manifesto that *still* rings so true despite being written in the 70s.
I wanted to highlight paragraphs of 'Fear of Flying.' (I think) its neuroses is in all women, and if you can't have a glass of wine and a bitch with your gal pals to make yourself feel better, well, at least now you know you can read this book.
I wanted to highlight paragraphs of 'Fear of Flying.' (I think) its neuroses is in all women, and if you can't have a glass of wine and a bitch with your gal pals to make yourself feel better, well, at least now you know you can read this book.
kber1013's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mattyzmom's review against another edition
2.0
I only gave the book 2 stars as I didn't agree with the morality themes of the book. It was more like immoral in my opinion. If I read it when it was published in 1973, I'm sure I would have liked it more. I just think if someone in a relationship wants to veer away, they should tell the other person, go through the steps then go to the person that interests you more. I'm all for female liberalism but going from one bed to another is cheating.
The story revolves around Isadora who is indecisive about love. She is not happy other she is with someone and even then, not always so happy. The story is loosely based on the author's life.
The story revolves around Isadora who is indecisive about love. She is not happy other she is with someone and even then, not always so happy. The story is loosely based on the author's life.
kricketa's review against another edition
1.0
This book frightened me. I know it's supposed to be a famous work of feminist fiction but I hated all of the characters and the plot read like a nightmare. I think I was the wrong generation for this one.
valhallaray's review against another edition
4.0
If you’re easily offended, this is not a book for you; it’s outdated in many ways, and many of its jokes won’t fly these days.
But it has some redeeming qualities. I thought I was going to read some intelligent 70’s smut, but I was tricked into less smut and more intelligence. It’s a little daft at the surface, but there are big ideas under these sheets, ahem I mean pages.
Yes, the author/narrator is self-involved, but what else do you expect from a 1st person stream-of-conscious narrative about a woman’s life and exploits? It’s rather honest in that way - she doesn’t try to dress herself up and write herself into a better person.
Most impressively, she manages to put into words many conflicting thoughts, desires, and ideas that faced women of the time and still face many of us today. How do we choose between comfort and passion? Between adventure and safety? Why can’t we have both?
She poses these questions, as well as others, but no answers. Are there answers? Who knows - I don’t think that book’s been written yet. But she poses one final question, the one that’s the most important: how do we choose to define ourselves, not by the person we’re with, but by our own selves? This one has an answer, but only we can answer it.
But it has some redeeming qualities. I thought I was going to read some intelligent 70’s smut, but I was tricked into less smut and more intelligence. It’s a little daft at the surface, but there are big ideas under these sheets, ahem I mean pages.
Yes, the author/narrator is self-involved, but what else do you expect from a 1st person stream-of-conscious narrative about a woman’s life and exploits? It’s rather honest in that way - she doesn’t try to dress herself up and write herself into a better person.
Most impressively, she manages to put into words many conflicting thoughts, desires, and ideas that faced women of the time and still face many of us today. How do we choose between comfort and passion? Between adventure and safety? Why can’t we have both?
She poses these questions, as well as others, but no answers. Are there answers? Who knows - I don’t think that book’s been written yet. But she poses one final question, the one that’s the most important: how do we choose to define ourselves, not by the person we’re with, but by our own selves? This one has an answer, but only we can answer it.
cybrvenus's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vi0letsunshine29's review against another edition
1.0
On February 3rd I decided to not finish this book & instead stop on page 108.
I’m quitting this book. I hate it so much and was really gonna push through because it was loaned to me by a friend but I see no literary merit in this book. This pseudo-feminist semi-autobiographical novel from the 70s may have been doing something for the girls during that second wave feminist era but I’m sure the black feminists of the time might have had a different reaction to this one! It’s truly this white woman complaining about how she doesn’t want to fuck her husband anymore and gets herself an impotent boyfriend and she says fuck and cunt a bunch and they just hailed this important feminist literature! I read a review on here calling it bad stand-up and that’s really how this reads, with pretty racist jokes that probably weren’t landing in the 70s either! I can’t believe I even read as much as I did I wish I could get that time back. This is the first time I’ve given a one star review and I hope to god I never read a horrid book like this again so I don’t have to give another 1 star review! Anyways happy black history month and if we are gonna read feminist literature from the 1970s let’s read more black women authors!
I’m quitting this book. I hate it so much and was really gonna push through because it was loaned to me by a friend but I see no literary merit in this book. This pseudo-feminist semi-autobiographical novel from the 70s may have been doing something for the girls during that second wave feminist era but I’m sure the black feminists of the time might have had a different reaction to this one! It’s truly this white woman complaining about how she doesn’t want to fuck her husband anymore and gets herself an impotent boyfriend and she says fuck and cunt a bunch and they just hailed this important feminist literature! I read a review on here calling it bad stand-up and that’s really how this reads, with pretty racist jokes that probably weren’t landing in the 70s either! I can’t believe I even read as much as I did I wish I could get that time back. This is the first time I’ve given a one star review and I hope to god I never read a horrid book like this again so I don’t have to give another 1 star review! Anyways happy black history month and if we are gonna read feminist literature from the 1970s let’s read more black women authors!